Pallets constructed of steel have considerable advantages in that they exhibit substantially constant dimension and substantially constant weight, rendering them of considerable utility in high rise storage systems and automated systems, and have considerable durability and weather resistance.
Steel pallets are non-combustible, in contrast to wood, and are lighter than wood for the same dimensions. Wood is also disadvantageous in that it absorbs moisture and is subject to degradation. Steel is also attractive as a material of construction, in that it is relatively inexpensive when compared with aluminum and plastic.
Despite these inherent advantages, steel pallets have not come into common usage, and those steel pallets that have been marketed have been heavy, cumbersome and time-consuming to produce, the elements being interconnected by welding.